I'll never forget the first time I saw the 'Spit' music video. I just had to check out New York Loose after that. Sure, there was the Gary Sunshine connection but I'd be lying if I said that the coolest female rawker since Joan Jett didn't have something to do with it.....

A week before typing this, I caught up with Danny Nordahl on the Faster Pussycat tour and got him to sign all my NY Loose covers - that's how much I liked that band. Well, you can guess how thrilled I was when my name got pulled out of the ÜR fedora to review this debut solo album from the former NY Loose frontwoman Brijitte West. Now, this could have backfired on me big style; the album could have been really bad, could have been full of middle-aged meanderings. Guess what? It ain't. It rules. Female readers take note - the years and the children don't have to turn you into a Volvo driving soccer mom, you too can be as cool as fuck. Cool as fuck like Brijitte West.

"Smokin hot punk rock and roll" is how Ms. West describes this new music and, as opening track 'Hard To Believe' struts in on a motormouth spoken intro, you'd find it hard to disagree. Simple yet wholly effective, this tune is as infectious as a zombie bite. 'Mess Of Myself' is righteously retro, ripping the speaker to shreds with its two manic panic minutes of Blondie-inspired barbs of melody. 'Walk Out' is a streetwise and assured rock 'n' roller with an outrageous love letter to 'Chinese Rocks' thrown in just for kicks.

'It's Not My Fault', the quirky catchiness of 'Bleeding Heart', 'Hey Papito' - these are the kinda songs that you would expect from a new Brijitte West release but, and I don't think this is rude to be saying, possibly way better than you ever expected. 'Long Island Lolita', 'All Roads Lead To You' - short, sharp shocks of songs, lyrically astute with subtle nods in tribute to the kind of music that made you wanna read this review and made Brijitte wanna make music in the first place, all coated in the most infectious hooks you'll hear all year. That's the overriding effect of this album, you'll find it hard to shake these melodies out of your head days after listening....that's if you can force yourself to turn it off.

Album closer 'How To Be Good', a great duet with Jesse Malin, hints at another side to Brijitte but the real revelation on this album is the incredible 'Bitter & Twisted', which channels Sheryl Crow (when she's in one of her Stones moods and it's okay to say that you like her) by way of 'Don't You Ever Leave Me' and leaves you in pieces. Wow, what a great song and a great performance, both lyrically and vocally. These kind of songs break bands and, no joke, the same can be said in regards to this heartbreaker.....

.....so let's do it, let's spread the word. Let's educate the proles by introducing them to the sheer rock 'n' roll spectacle of Brijitte West and the Desperate Hopefuls and this, one of the first truly great records of 2010.

Brijitte West, the first lady of foxy rock 'n' roll is back and I, for one, couldn't be happier. This album rules and comes highly recommended with a cherry on top.